Use your ears. Learn basic music theory. Before I learned basic music theory I found mine and most people's ears know what goes with or doesn't go with a certain melody/scale. It doesn't sound right. Just by listening to music all your life you're ears are sort of in tune so to speak. That's how a lot of producers/beat makers don't know music theory but can make a hot beat that's in tune (or not as long as it sounds good to u). Trust your ears.

Use your ears. Learn basic music theory. Before I learned basic music theory I found mine and most people's ears know what goes with or doesn't go with a certain melody/scale. It doesn't sound right. Just by listening to music all your life you're ears are sort of in tune so to speak. That's how a lot of producers/beat makers don't know music theory but can make a hot beat that's in tune (or not as long as it sounds good to u). Trust your ears.

Use your ears. Learn basic music theory. Before I learned basic music theory I found mine and most people's ears know what goes with or doesn't go with a certain melody/scale. It doesn't sound right. Just by listening to music all your life you're ears are sort of in tune so to speak. That's how a lot of producers/beat makers don't know music theory but can make a hot beat that's in tune (or not as long as it sounds good to u). Trust your ears.

I had to thumb up. I also don't know mutch about music theory but playing by ear works aswel.
Same goes for composing a drum loop, when a certain instrument is few mili second of note it breaks up the chain.

But it's beter to learn your theory, it'll only affect your work in a positive way.

As a very general rule, you want mostly to play the notes that appear in the chord which you're playing over at that moment. So if you're playing over an A minor, you can play A, C, or E. Then you can use the other scale tones (B, D, F, G) as 'passing tones' between those chord tones. Those passing tones offer brief momentary 'spice' to the agreeable sound of the chord tones.

Yeah, agree I would learn chords and arpeggios first. It teaches you patterns and how the scales are created. So on a bass or guitar, I can play Amin in tons of different ways, since the A C and E are in many places all over the neck. Just learn major and minor chords first until you see the patterns, then expand to 7ths, min 7ths..etc.

I have no formal training but even my first tracks sounded right because I know when a note or chord doesn't fit. Its something that comes naturally. If you don't hear those problems you might want to try basketball or the tennis club.

I have no formal training but even my first tracks sounded right because I know when a note or chord doesn't fit. Its something that comes naturally. If you don't hear those problems you might want to try basketball or the tennis club.

I have no formal training but even my first tracks sounded right because I know when a note or chord doesn't fit. Its something that comes naturally. If you don't hear those problems you might want to try basketball or the tennis club.

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well i hear the problems right away no doubt. i just wanted to ask because i have been learning scales the past 2 months.

Just use your ears. If it sounds good then most likely its already in key or close enough. And don't worry bout being precise, cause having sounds slightly out of key will build tension and give your track a unique sound and character. Thats whats gonna distinguish your sound from the rest. If anything just use a sine wave and a spectrum analyzer to practice tuning your sounds to a certain key, so you know what to listen for, but after that just use your ears from there on out.

Use your ears. Learn basic music theory. Before I learned basic music theory I found mine and most people's ears know what goes with or doesn't go with a certain melody/scale. It doesn't sound right. Just by listening to music all your life you're ears are sort of in tune so to speak. That's how a lot of producers/beat makers don't know music theory but can make a hot beat that's in tune (or not as long as it sounds good to u). Trust your ears.

if you dont know anything about music theory and use only your ears - what I doubt will work - you are simply limited to what was there before. that is not you. you always wil be limited to something happening by accident and you dont know why. you cant work out an idea. you cant do anything with a goal in mind. you will never get willingly your music sound like you want it to sound.

you will be forever be a slave to coincidence.

learn music theory, the only way to understand how music works. and this you cant do with samples or loops or beats or whatever.

if you dont know anything about music theory and use only your ears - what I doubt will work - you are simply limited to what was there before. that is not you. you always wil be limited to something happening by accident and you dont know why. you cant work out an idea. you cant do anything with a goal in mind. you will never get willingly your music sound like you want it to sound.

you will be forever be a slave to coincidence.

learn music theory, the only way to understand how music works. and this you cant do with samples or loops or beats or whatever.

This is not true. I make better beats than a lot of people with theory. And I didn't learn theory. If you have talent, you have talent.

I thought I was utterly helpless as far as music theory is concerned and that I just had a good ear... But then I realized that I've had music courses in middle school in which I learnt how to read sheet music and play those plastic flutes... Honing my ears to recognize notes.

without theory, you'll be very limited in composing. most of these guys who say you need no theory are writing childish melodies and cant make a simple chord progression.

also, just because you didn't go to school to learn music theory doesn't mean you don't use it.

it makes no sense to invent hot water imho.

also depends on what you want to do. for dirty south, you don't need no theory. but for things like J.R. Rotem and Scott Storch does, you're not in the ballpark without knowing scales and chord progressions.

. For dirty south, you don't need no theory. but for things like J.R. Rotem and Scott Storch does, you're not in the ballpark without knowing scales and chord progressions.

Also not true. Music theory is needed for all music, and for the record music theory originates in the mind not on a piece of paper or book. If your talking about traditional music theory then yes you can read up on it to help bring to light what you already know.